Stricken Ball Packaging can site resumes full production
The Wrexham site employs 210 staff and produces around 2bn cans per year, mainly for soft drinks and beer. Ball's UK customers include Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), and Britvic, where the latter has an exclusive agreement to produce and sell drinks such as Pepsi in the UK.
The firm said this afternoon in a statement that all four production lines at the site were running again, with the last restarting production this week.
Action plans implemented in the fire’s aftermath significantly reduced business interruption, Ball said, with the firm able to meet immediate supply requirements of customers.
'External power dip' blamed
The plant on the industrial estate on Bridge Road was hit by a fire on July 22, and Ball cited an external expert who said the source of ignition was probably an external power dip in the plant.
Ball said in a statement that it took all necessary measures to prevent fire, and routinely assessed all equipment in plants for CE compliance, fire and operation safety.
In association with fire training for the workforce, these preventive measures limited damages at the Wrexham plant and ensured the safety of employees, Ball said.
North Wales Fire & Rescue Service crews were first called to Ball Packaging Europe’s beverage can plant in Wrexham, North Wales early on Sunday afternoon, July 22rd 2012, and brought the fire under control by 4.12pm.
The Wrexham site is one of three Ball production plants sited in the UK and one of 12 across Europe: the UK, France, Holland, Poland and Serbia.
Rugby in Northern England is Ball's other UK can production site, while the company produces can ends at another Welsh plant on Deeside, close to the Wrexham plant.
